Anne Boleyn: Facts About the Second Wife of Henry VIII | Primary Facts Anne Boleyn: Facts About the Second Wife of Henry VIII Posted on by James • 7 Comments Here are some facts about Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Very little is known about the early years of Anne Boleyn’s life. Historians can’t even agree when Anne was born. Some think she was born in 1500 or 1501, whereas others think a year of 1507 to be more likely. She was probably born at Blickling Hall in Norfolk. Apparently, Anne was not particularly pretty. Contrary to legend, she probably didn’t have a sixth finger on one of her hands. She was, however, stylish, intelligent and quick-witted. Anne spent time in the household of Henry’s sister, Mary Tudor, who was married to the French King, Louis XII. Anne learned to speak French fluently. Anne’s sister Mary Boleyn was a mistress of Henry VIII. After Henry VIII took an interest in Anne, it was thought that she too would become one of his mistresses.

However, this was not the case, and from 1527 onwards, Henry sought to get his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled so he would be in a position to marry Anne. In 1533 Anne and Henry were secretly married. It is thought that Anne was pregnant with Henry’s child at this point. Henry and Catherine were still officially married, but Archbishop Cranmer proclaimed the marriage to be null and void. Henry’s desire to annul the marriage between himself and Catherine in order to marry Anne, led to the break with Rome. Anne gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, on August 26th 1533. Anne Boleyn fell pregnant again in 1534 but it either ended in miscarriage or the child being stillborn. In 1535 Anne suffered a miscarriage. King Henry VIII desperately desired a male heir and he started to spend time with one of Anne’s ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Anne’s enemies at court, particularly Thomas Cromwell, began to plot her downfall. On May 2nd 1536, Anne was arrested at Greenwich, accused of committing adultery, incest and high treason.

It was also said that she plotted to kill the King. She was taken to the Tower of London . On Monday 15th Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother were put on trial. Anne was found guilty of committing adultery, despite a significant lack of evidence, and she was executed on the morning of May 19th 1536. Anne’s head and body were placed in an arrow chest and buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. Find out about Henry VIII’s other wives by clicking here . You can also check out more of our Tudor resources by visiting this page . The Six Wives Of Henry VIII - By Tales Of Curiosity Contact Search Site If you enjoyed this, then why not tell your friends? It also shows us the most popular subjects. So we can make more like them, just for you!! The Six Wives Of Henry VIII Running Time:5:32Release Date: 30 Dec 2009 We travel back to the time of the Tudor's and meet probably the best known king of all time, Henry VIII. Apart from his large size he is famous for having six wives.

In this video we find out the reasons for each marriage, meet each of his wives and learn of their fate. About The Video Introduction In England, on the 21st April 1509, a young prince became a King. He was the son of Henry Tudor, who reigned as Henry VII. The young prince was determined to create a Tudor dynasty. His name was Henry VIII. Henry VIII As A Young Man Catherine Of Aragon Died: 5 September 1548 Although, not the best known of Henry VIII's wives, Catherine Parr was probably the most influential. Henry first noticed Catherine when she was working in the household of his daughter Mary. Catherine was a widow and was in a relationship with Thomas Seymour (1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley). But after Henry VIII proposed to her, she was obliged to marry him. Catherine had good relations with all three of Henry VIII's children and helped to reconcile Henry with his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Catherine Parr From July to September 1544 Catherine was made regent by Henry and effectively ruled the country. This was whilst Henry was on his last military campaign.

It has also been speculated that Catherine's character and religious beliefs were a great influence on her stepdaughter, who became Elizabeth I. Portrait Of An Elderly Henry VIII Henry VIII was very sick and Catherine Parr was more of a nurse than a wife. Henry VIII died on the 28th January 1547. He was buried in Windsor next to his third wife, Jane Seymour. Resting Place Of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour Later in the year, Catherine Parr married Thomas Seymour, who apparently was not a good husband. She sadly died a year after, from childbirth complications. Tomb Of Catherine Parr The End Of Our Tale Thus ends our tale of Henry VIII's wives. There were no offspring from his children and the death of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I meant the end of the Tudor Dynasty. Curious Facts ★ After her execution, Anne Boleyn's body was buried in an old arrow chest under the floor of the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. This was only found in Victorian times, after which a plaque on the floor now marks the spot. ★ Jane Seymour was the only one of Henry's VIII six wives to receive a Queen's funeral.

★ When Henry VIII was on a campaign in France he made Catherine Of Aragon regent. The Scots then invaded England and Catherine addressed the army, and rode in full armour with the troops, despite being heavily pregnant. ★ After their divorce, Anne of Cleves was given the title "The King's Beloved Sister", and was given precedence over all women in England, after Henry's wife and two daughters. ★ Anne of Cleves appeared to have enjoyed life after her divorce. She became very fond of English beer. ★ Anne Boleyn was executed with a sword and not an axe. Execution by an expert swordsman meant a cleaner cut. ★ The two wives of Henry VIII that were executed, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, were cousins. ★ When she was queen, Anne Boleyn had over 250 personal servants. ★ Legend says that Anne Boleyn had six fingers, no one knows if this is really true. ★ Catherine Parr was the most-married English queen, she had four husbands. ★ Catherine Parr's mother was a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon and named her daughter after her. ★ The chapel where Catherine Parr was buried fell into disrepair and over time her grave became desecrated.

Her current tomb was built during Victorian times. BBC iWonder - What did King Henry VIII really want from a wife? BBC iWonder In partnership with Art UKExternal 1. A towering Tudor In partnership with Art UKExternal Henry VIII: Britain’s most famous king. Big, bold and brash, he is the epitome of 'Merrie England'. Ruling between 1509 and 1547, his marriages to a succession of six women became something of a Tudor soap opera and probably his most talked-about legacy. So, as king of England and one of Europe’s most eligible royals, what did he want in a wife, and, more specifically, a queen? 2. The six wives of Henry VIII Click on the portraits to find out more about Henry's queens including how they met, and what happened to them. This content uses functionality that is not supported by your current browser. Consider upgrading your browser. 3. A mother to a prince National Trust A family portrait of the first Tudor kings by Remi van Leemput, painted 1669. Clockwise from back left: Henry VIII's parents Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth, Jane Seymour, Edward VI as Prince of Wales, and Henry VIII.

A male heir was crucial to continuing the royal line and securing the kingdom. It was probably the queen’s most fundamental responsibility. Henry was only the second Tudor monarch, and it was a dynasty founded primarily on conquest rather than heritage. A female heir was not good enough – in England there’d never been a ruling queen and a daughter’s accession could be challenged. Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, became pregnant six times. Only one pregnancy produced a child that survived to adulthood – a daughter, Mary. This became intolerable to Henry. In his crusade for a male heir he divorced her, creating the Church of England to do so. Unfortunately, Anne Boleyn, the woman he married instead, also only provided him with a daughter – Elizabeth. To make matters worse for Anne, one of the children she miscarried was believed to have had a deformity. This was associated with unfaithful or abnormal sexual practices and signalled the beginning of the end for her. She was executed in 1536. When Henry finally did father a healthy son, Edward, the celebration was followed by sorrow. Jane Seymour, his third wife, died of postnatal complications 12 days later. 4. An unavailable beauty 5.

A faithful friend National Museums Liverpool Cranmer Endeavouring to Obtain a Confession of Guilt from Catherine Howard by William Lindsay Windus (1849). Just being beautiful was not enough – Henry’s wives had to be loyal, trustworthy and faithful too. As king, Henry had a reputation, a court and a kingdom to uphold. Any indiscretions – alleged or otherwise – had to be dealt with severely. For a queen, there was an etiquette to navigate between being attractive to courtiers, but definitely not available to them. Both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard fell foul of this and were executed because of their extra-marital activities. Catherine’s dalliance with courtier Thomas Culpeper earned her a conviction for adultery and treason. Henry is said to have publicly cried on hearing she’d been unfaithful. It also transpired she’d previously been engaged to Francis Dereham, another of Henry’s courtiers. She was executed in 1542. Anne Boleyn’s reported affairs were even more scandalous. She was accused of not only being unfaithful with other members of court but also her own brother in an apparently desperate attempt to produce a male heir. She denied the accusations to the end.

Some historians think the allegations were masterminded by Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s ‘fixer’, to hasten the end of their marriage. She was beheaded at the Tower of London in 1536. 6. A lady of the court National Trust Jane Seymour by British School (c1800). Perhaps one of the reasons Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon lasted so long was because she could manage the court when he was away. While he was waging war in France Catherine proved she could tend to royal affairs capably. This included stopping a Scottish invasion at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. Similarly, Catherine Parr was a shrewd queen. She was an intellectual who wrote books about religion and could negotiate court life. Although she ran the gauntlet with Henry over theology, she succeeded in reconciling him with Mary and Elizabeth, his daughters by Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. An accomplished nurse, she cared for his lame leg and soothed his temper. Anne Boleyn, by contrast, publicly challenged Henry and was reputedly the only wife who argued with him. Essentially what made her an exciting lover also made her a bad queen.

‘‘A king should not have to stand that kind of treatment from a wife!”, he fumed. Her successor Jane Seymour was quite the opposite – demure, quiet and agreeable. After her death she was given a queen’s funeral by a distraught Henry, and he was buried next to her at Windsor Castle when he died in 1547. 7. A date with death? Unpredictable, unfaithful, disagreeable and deadly, why would any woman want to marry Henry? Status Learn All About The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, Their Lives & Deaths | Historic Royal Palaces Find out more about the lives (and deaths) of Henry VIII's six wives Katherine of Aragon Divorced The first of Henry VIII's six wives, Katherine of Aragon (1485-1536) was a Spanish princess who was married to Henry for 18 years before he began divorce proceedings in his desperation to re-marry and produce a male heir. Katherine had been pregnant six times but only one daughter, Princess Mary, later Mary I , had survived.

Dying in 1536, Katherine wrote to Henry: 'Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things. Farewell.' Anne Boleyn Beheaded The second of Henry VIII's six wives, Anne Boleyn (c1501-1536) was married to the King for only three years from 1533-1536. Instead of the sought after male heir, Anne was pregnant with another princess, Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I ). Anne was supported by religious reformers but was also hated by many at court. After a miscarriage, her fate was sealed and she was arrested (and later executed at the Tower of London) for adultery and incest. Jane Seymour Died Jane Seymour (c1509-1537) was the third of Henry VIII's six wives and the only wife to provide the King with the much longed for son and male heir. Having married Henry in May 1536, she gave birth to Prince Edward (later Edward VI) at Hampton Court Palace in 1537 but died soon afterwards.

Henry had his son but grieved: 'Providence has mingled my joy with the bitterness of the death of her who brought me this happiness.' Anne of Cleves Divorced Anne of Cleves (1515-1557) was the fourth of Henry VIII's six wives and at 24 was half Henry's age when they married in January 1540. Henry first saw Anne of Cleves in a painting by Hans Holbein but in the flesh, Henry found Anne unattractive and began pursuing one of her maids of honour, Catherine Howard. After six months the marriage was annulled yet Anne remained in England and on good terms with Henry VIII. He commanded that she be treated as 'the king's sister' Catherine Howard Beheaded Henry VIII's fifth wife was an alluring teenager named Catherine Howard (c1522-1542). Married three weeks after his second divorce, rumours of Catherine's past and present love affairs reached a furious Henry. She was arrested at Hampton Court Palace and later taken to the Tower of London where she was beheaded in February 1542, aged about 21.

Kateryn Parr The Six Wives The Six Wives of King Henry VIII by Allison Hendee, Jackie Williams, and Karen Williams To King Henry VII of England, a second son, Prince Henry,was born at the Greenwich Palace, London, on June 28, 1491. After Arthur, his older brother, died, Henry was left heir to the throne. He went on to become the most formidable and famous king who ever reigned in England. His handsome physical appearance&emdash; very tall with broad shoulders, strong athletic limbs, and fair skin&emdash; added to his popularity. Throughout his reign King Henry VIII was married six different times. He married for both political and formal reasons. Henry married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in June, 1509. Anne Boleyn became his second wife in secret in January, 1533. Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife, provided him the much desired heir to the throne in October, 1537. Henry married Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, under political terms with Western Germany in 1540. Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was Anne of Cleves's maid of honor.

She married Henry in 1540 also. Finally, Catherine Parr helped to bring his family together when they married in July, 1543. Catherine Parr outlived King Henry VIII when his glorious reign ended with his death on January 28, 1547. Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was the widow of King Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur. Catherine was left widowed after a year of marriage when Arthur died in 1501. It was King Henry VII's dying wish for his son, Henry, to marry Catherine of Aragon. It was important for Henry to keep the alliance between England and Spain. Between the years 1510 and 1518, Catherine gave birth to six children, including two sons, but all except one daughter, Mary, were stillborn or died in early infancy. Catherine was unable to provide a male heir for King Henry VIII, which eventually led to the end of their marriage. Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine. Henry finally broke with the Roman Catholic church, and his new Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cromwell, had their marriage annulled.

Soon after, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, making the king head of the English church. Although Catherine was loved by the English people, she was forced to spend the last years of her life isolated from all public life. Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII. They were privately married in January 1533, but the marriage did not become known until Easter of that year. Anne Boleyn was the mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I, born in September of 1533. During their marriage Henry quickly lost interest in Anne and began to have affairs with other women. All Anne had to do to save their marriage was provide a male heir for the King. After two attempts she failed. Committed to the Tower of London, Anne was charged with adultery and alleged to have been involved in several affairs. On May 19, 1536, she was convicted by a unanimous vote and beheaded. According to many historians, it is very likely that Anne was innocent, but she was declared guilty because of a temporary court faction supported by Thomas Cromwell. Jane Seymour, the mother of King Edward VI, was the third wife of King Henry VIII.

Jane was the daughter of one of the King's knights. In Henry's attempts to win Jane, he sent her a love letter and a purse. Jane sent the letter and the purse back unopened with a touching message about her family's honor. The King promised to defend the honor, and they were married May 30, 1536. Jane was the first and only wife to provide King Henry VIII with a proper male heir. However, Jane was unable to recover from the birth and died twelve days later. The fourth wife of King Henry was Anne of Cleves, a German princess. They were married for political reasons; in fact, Anne was chosen by Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Chancellor. This marriage was politically convenient, as Henry needed a strong political alliance with Lutheran Germany to establish ties between England and the other protestant countries so that England would not become totally isolated. Their marriage soon became a political embarrassment when the alliance between the Catholic powers failed. The marriage was annulled on July 9, 1540. Anne was rewarded with a large income as long as she remained in England and was given the title of "King's Sister." Catherine Howard, one of ten children of Lord Edmund Howard, was Henry's fifth wife.

Catherine had been a maid of honor in his previous marriage to Anne of Cleves. Henry's marriage to Anne was annulled on July 9, 1540, and he and Catherine were secretly married on July 28. Catherine had been previously engaged to her cousin, Thomas Culpepper. She was thought to have had affairs with him and two others&emdash; Henry Mannock, a music teacher, and Francis Dereham. In November 1541, the King learned of these supposed affairs and became irate. He allowed Parliament to pass a bill of attainder declaring it treason for an unchaste woman to marry the king. On February 14, 1542, two days after the bill was passed, Catherine was beheaded in the Tower of London for crimes of treason Catherine Parr was King Henry VIII's sixth and last wife. They were married on July 12, 1543. Catherine was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendall, an official of the King's royal household.

She had been married twice before her marriage to Henry, having been widowed first by Edward Borough, who died in 1529, and then in 1542 when her second husband, John Neville, Lord Latimer, died. Catherine was a highly educated and deeply religious woman. She had a great influence on the king as his reign ended. She brought the family close together and developed close friendships with Henry's three children. After Henry died in January 1547, Catherine remarried a former suitor, Thomas, Lord Seymour of Sudeley. She died shortly after giving birth to a daughter in 1549. Works Consulted "Aragon, Catherine of." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This source tells about the first wife of King Henry VIII. There is information given on her family history. It also includes details of their relationship. "Boleyn, Anne." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. Details of the death of the second wife of King Henry VIII are given by this source. It also includes details about their relationship.

There is information about why he broke his ties from the Roman Catholic church. "Cleves, Anne of." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This is a summary about the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. It tells about her political ties through her family. It includes details about the annulment of their marriage. Dwyer, Frank. Henry VIII. USA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. This book has great pictures and a time line. It is a great source for political details and information about struggles of the era. It includes in-depth details about Henry and his six wives. "Howard, Catherine." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This source gives information about the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Details are given about her childhood in this summary. It includes details about their relationship and her beheading. Malvern, Gladys. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Toronto: The Copp Clark Publishing Company, Ltd., 1972. This book profiles each one of Henry VIII's wives. It goes into great detail about the relationships with each. It also gives many personality traits of each wife.

Morrison, N. Brysson. The Private Life of Henry VIII. New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc., 1964. King Henry VIII's life is discussed in great detail on this book. It is a great source for facts. This source gives information about his affairs. "Parr, Catherine." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This is a summary about the sixth wife of Henry VIII. It tells about her previous marriages. Also included is information on her beneficial influence on the king. *Ridley, Jasper. Henry VIII. USA: R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co., 1964. This book gives an interesting history on King Henry VIII. It is a great source for information. A York and Lancaster family tree is included in this source. "Seymour, Jane." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This summary includes details about King Henry VIII's only son, provided by his third wife, Jane Seymour. Details about their relationship are given by this source. There is some family history revealed in the summary. Weir, Alison. The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. This book profiles King Henry VIII's struggle for an heir to his throne. His trials with the court and Church are also shown in this book. It also has a great time line. Williams, Neville. Henry VIII and His Court. New York: The Macmillan Co., 1971. This source is a depiction of everyday life, family and friends of King Henry VIII. There are many illustrations in color and black and white in this book. It is also a great source for details. Woodward, G.W.O. King Henry VIII. Great Britain: Pitkin Pictorials, 1991. The history of Henry VIII's life is given in this book. It explains the relationship with each wife. It gives his actions while being king. *Woodward, G.W.O. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. London: Pitkin Pictorials, 1972. There are great pictures included in this source. It also gives a great summary of Henry VIII's six wives. It is a great resource for facts.

*Source for visual Henry VIII - British History - HISTORY.com Google Henry VIII: Early Life Henry was born January 28, 1491, the second son of Henry VII, the first English ruler from the House of Tudor. While his older brother Arthur was being prepared for the throne, Henry was steered toward a church career, with a broad education in theology, music, languages, poetry and sports. Did You Know? An accomplished musician, Henry VIII of England wrote a song entitled "Pastime With Good Company" that was popular throughout Renaissance Europe. Arthur had been betrothed since age 2 to Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the Spanish rulers Ferdinand and Isabella, and in November of 1501 the teenage couple were married. Months later, Arthur died of a sudden illness. Henry became next in line for the throne and in 1503 was betrothed to his brother’s widow. Henry VIII: First Years as King Henry VIII took the throne at age 17 and married Catherine of Aragon six weeks later. Over the next 15 years, while Henry fought three wars with France, Catherine bore him three sons and three daughters, all but one of whom died in infancy.

The sole survivor was Mary (later Mary I ), born in 1516. Henry was an active king in those years, keeping a festive court, hunting, jousting, writing and playing music. He issued a book-length attack on Martin Luther’s church reforms that earned him the title “Defender of the Faith” from Pope Leo X. But the lack of a male heir—especially after he fathered a healthy illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, in 1519—gnawed at the king. Henry VIII: Dissolving a Marriage, Splitting the Church By the 1520s, Henry had become infatuated with Anne Boleyn, a young woman in his wife’s entourage. He also worried that his marriage to Catherine had been cursed by God because of the Old Testament ban on marrying the widow of one’s brother. The king decided to seek a papal annulment that would free him to remarry. With the assistance of his powerful adviser Cardinal Wolsey, Henry petitioned Pope Clement VII but was rebuffed due to pressure from Catherine’s nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Wolsey was forced from power for his failure and died in 1630 awaiting trial for treason. With the backing of the English parliament and clergy, Henry ultimately decided that he didn’t need the pope’s permission to rule on issues affecting the Church of England. In 1533 Henry and Anne Boleyn were married, and their daughter Elizabeth was born. Mary was declared illegitimate and Elizabeth named his heir. England’s monasteries were closed and in most cases sold off to add to Henry’s wealth. Henry VIII: More Marriages and Deaths In January of 1536 Henry was unhorsed and injured during a jousting tournament. When news of his accident reached the pregnant Anne, she miscarried, delivering a stillborn son. Henry then spurned her, turning his affections to another woman of his court, Jane Seymour. Within six months he had executed Anne for treason and incest and married Jane, who quickly gave him a son (the future Edward IV) but died two weeks later. Henry’s fourth marriage bore similarities to his first. Anne of Cleves was a political bride, chosen to cement an alliance with her brother, the ruler of a Protestant duchy in Germany.

The marriage only lasted a few days before Henry had it annulled. He then married Catherine Howard, but two years later she too was beheaded for treason and adultery. In the last years of his reign Henry grew moody, obese and suspicious, hobbled by personal intrigues and by the persistent leg wound from his jousting injury. His final marriage, to the widow Catherine Parr in 1543, saw his reconciliation with Mary and Elizabeth, who were restored to the line of succession. Henry VIII: Death and Legacy Henry VIII died on his 56th birthday, January 28, 1547. His 9-year-old son Edward VI succeeded him as king but died six years later. Mary I spent her five-year reign steering England back into the Catholic fold, but Elizabeth I , the longest-reigning of the Tudor monarchs, re-entrenched her father’s religious reforms. Tags SparkNotes: Henry VIII: Henry and his Wives Henry and his Wives Henry and his Wives, page 2 page 1 of 2 Summary Henry VIII is perhaps most notorious in English history for his six marriages.

He has the distinction in the history of that nation for being the most-married monarch of all time. We have already seen the course of his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which was plagued by infant mortality and finished off with a sensational political revolution. His second wife, Anne Boleyn, saw an unfortunate end as well. After the birth of the princess Elizabeth in 1533, Anne suffered a miscarriage and two stillbirths. Henry showed his disappointment openly and determined to rid himself of yet another wife. In May 1536, Anne was charged with multiple instances of adultery–very likely false charges–one of her alleged lovers being her own brother. She was also charged with conspiring to have Henry killed. She and five men were put to death after a quick and unfairly conducted trial on May 19. Henry remarried very quickly after Anne's execution. Jane Seymour, a quiet- mannered lady of the court, had caught the king's attention while Anne was still queen. She only responded to Henry's persistent overtures after Anne's execution, and the two married on May 30, 1536. Jane bore Henry a son, the future King Edward VI, in October the following year.

She died in childbirth, however, and Henry was extremely grieved. By March 1539, Henry showed himself inclined to marry once again. Thomas Cromwell suggested a possible marriage alliance with the Protestant German duchy of Cleves. Henry sent his best portrait artist, Hans Holbein the Younger, to capture Anne of Cleves's likeness; the painting the Flemish artist brought back to him pleased Henry greatly. Cromwell was asked to conclude the marriage treaty. When Anne of Cleves arrived in England in January 1540, however, Henry was shocked by her plain appearance (Holbein's painting had been too flattering) and her poor manners. He disparagingly referred to her as "the Mare of Flanders," and they were divorced within six months of their marriage, which was never consummated. Anne lived the rest of her days in content obscurity on a large estate that was given to her upon the divorce. Cromwell, who had coordinated the disastrous affair, lost Henry's favor entirely. Henry's fifth bride was the vivacious Katherine Howard, niece of Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk.

After the king married her in August 1540, Norfolk took advantage of his niece's position to gain him and his chief political friend, Stephen Gardiner, the orthodox bishop of Winchester, greater influence with King Henry. Katherine was very free with herself where it came to handsome young men of the court, however, and following in Anne Boleyn's footsteps, she was sent to the scaffold in February 1542, executed for treason. In July 1543, Henry tied the knot for the sixth and final time. He married the twice-widowed Katherine Parr, a mild-mannered woman who treated her ailing husband and king with great devotion, also serving as a caring, surrogate mother for Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth. Katherine outlived Henry, who died in 1547. Analysis Henry's many marriages have served as some of the best proof of his egoistic, tyrannical temperament in historical accounts of his life and personality.

That he discarded a wife of twenty years (Catherine) because her sons died in infancy, sent two wives to the scaffold for their alleged and real adultery, and treated the unfortunate Anne of Cleves so rudely because of her plainness (when he had grown old, obese, and terribly unattractive himself)–these facts speak for themselves, and do not merit Henry much sympathy. Much of the tragedy in the personal stories of all his wives, excepting Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr, can be attributed to Henry's egoistic disregard for the human cost of his actions. 1 The Six Wives of King Henry VIII: An overview Survived Six Wives of Henry VIII. An Overview of the Tudor Queens: King Henry VIII , Tudor monarch, ruler of England in sixteenth-century Renaissance England, had six wives. The fates of the wives can be remembered as "Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived." King Henry the Eighth in his youth was much like William Shakespeare's description of King Henry V — he was much more interested in arms and armor, swordplay, jousting, hunting, and women than in kingship.

He wrote love poems and composed songs such as "Pastime with Good Company." Throughout his life, he also loved regal fashion — after all, what was royalty if one could not dress like a royal. There still remains an elaborate suit of armor worn by King Henry VIII at the Tower of London Museum. However, the British Isles had to have a ruler serious about the business of the commonwealth, and one of those concerns was taking a wife and begetting an heir to the throne of England. It was not long since the Wars of the Roses , and succession had to be secured. Henry VIII's first wife, Queen Catharine of Aragon , who had been contracted to Henry's brother Arthur before his death, gave him a daughter, who was to become Queen Mary I , also known as Bloody Mary, for the number of Protestant executions in her reign. While married to Catharine, the King fell in love with Anne Boleyn to the point of obsession, which resulted in his desire to obtain a divorce.

The Pope and the Catholic Church would not grant it, which resulted in King Henry VIII breaking from the church of Rome — in one swoop England became a protestant country; it is due to this one factor that the Anglican church, or Church of England, exists. Henry VIII's second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn , gave birth to a daughter, who would later become Queen Elizabeth I , arguably the strongest and most successful monarch, King or Queen, in the history of Britain. The King still desired a male heir, a crown prince, and Anne Boleyn's contrary nature was wearing on the King. Anne Boleyn also had enemies at court, who helped bring about her downfall; accused of adultery and plotting to kill the king, and thus treason, there was no way for Anne to go, but to the headsman's block. The King had already begun to court one of the ladies of the court, Jane Seymour , whom he married shortly after. Henry VIII's third wife, Queen Jane Seymour succeeded in giving birth to an heir to the crown — Prince Edward, who later succeeded his father to the English throne as King Edward VI . Unfortunately, the Queen died a few days after childbirth from an infection.

The King's advisors, mainly Thomas Cromwell , suggested a match for him with Anne of Cleves , but it appears Holbein's portrait of Anne was more flattering than the reality. Anne became Henry VIII's fourth wife, but the King was not attracted to her (and there are stories that one of the reasons was her pervasive body odour), and the marriage quickly resulted in divorce. Anne stayed in England, however, and remained in good relations with the King and all three of his children, as well as with his future queens. King Henry VIII's fifth wife was Catherine Howard . An attractive young lady, she had been pushed into the marriage by her own ambition, as well as the pressure of her powerful family. King Henry VIII, however, was no longer a young man; he had become corpulent, and an old wound in his leg had never healed but remained an oozing sore — hardly the romantic ideal for a young woman. Further, the King had become irascible; long gone were the days of courtly love, when he wrote love letters to Anne Boleyn. Catherine soon started fooling around with young courtiers, and was eventually caught: chopping block for her.

King Henry VIII's sixth and last wife was Queen Katherine Parr . A well-educated lady, an excellent writer with a keen intelligence and solid moral fiber, Katherine Parr was the Queen to outlast the intrigues of court, the bad temper of the King, and the general rigors of court life. She was a sweet-tempered, kind person, and the children of King Henry VIII loved her. When King Henry VIII died, he was succeeded by his son, King Edward VI , the boy king. King Edward did not live very long, however, and was succeeded by Queen Mary I . Queen Mary, who was Catholic like her mother, married Philip II of Spain , a Catholic, and the English were in uproar. There were many plots and conspiracies on her life, and she grew very suspicious of her subjects — even of her sister, Elizabeth. The Wyatt rebellion, headed by Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger , son of the Poet Sir Thomas Wyatt , in particular seemed to suggest Elizabeth's involvement in a conspiracy. Lady Elizabeth was taken to the Tower of London, from where she wrote many letters to her sister, Queen Mary, declaring her innocence. Mary finally believed her, and while Wyatt suffered a traitor's death, Elizabeth was freed.

A few years later Queen Mary died, probably of ovarian cancer, and Elizabeth succeeded her on the throne as Queen Elizabeth I , The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, under whose reign the English Renaissance came to full bloom, and the arts and literature, especially poetry and theatre , flourished. It was in Queen Elizabeth's reign, the Elizabethan era, that English literature gained its shining stars: Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare . Early Modern literature would likely never have reached the heights it did, had it not been for Queen Elizabeth. To cite this page: Jokinen, Anniina. "The Six Wives of King Henry VIII." Luminarium. 16 Oct 2006. [Date you accessed the page]. Site copyright ©1996-2009 Anniina Jokinen . All Rights Reserved. Created by Anniina Jokinen on October 16, 2006. Last updated on May 16, 2009. BBC iWonder - How did Henry VIII use sex and power to secure his legacy? BBC iWonder Presented byDr Kate WilliamsRoyal Historian 1.

A man of extremes Presented byDr Kate WilliamsRoyal Historian Henry VIII is one of our most renowned monarchs. He was a larger than life king who established one of the most glittering courts in Europe. However, he was also a spoiled prince used to getting his own way and ruthless when his desires were thwarted. Henry turned the country upside down in pursuit of Anne Boleyn, changing the nation's official religion, annulling his first marriage and executing once-favoured advisers to secure his marriage to her. However, when Anne failed to produce a son to carry on Henry's legacy, even she wasn't safe. 2. A lusty monarch The king was fascinated with Anne Boleyn, who had arrived from the French court and was one of his wife's ladies-in-waiting. Henry had already slept with her sister, Mary, but Anne refused to be his mistress. She had higher ambitions. Kate Williams explores Henry and Anne's blossoming romance at Hever Castle in Kent Transcript (PDF 210 Kb) 3. All the king's men Henry raised men from modest backgrounds to powerful offices, so they could help him achieve his goals.

These men were loyal to the king but they knew that if they failed, Henry had the power to bring them back down to earth. This content uses functionality that is not supported by your current browser. Consider upgrading your browser. Click on the portraits above to discover what happened to the four Thomases 4. Taking on the Church Bridgeman Images Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon appeared before papal legates in 1529 to argue whether their marriage was valid. (Frank O Salisbury, 1910) When Henry came to the throne, England was a Catholic nation subject to the Pope in Rome. Henry considered himself a loyal subject of Rome and was given the title ‘Defender of the Faith’ by Pope Leo X after he authored a book attacking the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. However, the Pope’s repeated refusal to annul Henry’s marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon put their relationship under severe strain. The king became convinced his power as a prince came directly from God and was not subject to the Pope. Race against time Matters came to a head in January 1533, when Henry and Anne married in secret and she became pregnant.

It was a race to annul the king's first marriage and validate the second before Anne gave birth. Parliament passed a series of laws restricting the power of Rome and allowed the Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop of Canterbury, to annul the marriage. Land grab The Pope promptly excommunicated Henry, banishing him from the Roman Catholic Church. A year later, Henry made himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. Those, including the former Lord Chancellor Thomas More, who refused to recognise his new title, were executed. Henry VIII then ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. His chief minister Thomas Cromwell oversaw the disbanding of 800 religious houses with their huge wealth and lands going to the crown. 5. Anne runs out of time Henry was bitterly disappointed when Anne gave birth to a stillborn boy. She hadn't produced his longed-for heir and Henry had also grown tired of her passionate temper. Anne's many enemies at court scented blood. Kate Williams reveals how a great royal romance unravelled 6. Next in line Getty Henry's third wife Jane Seymour gave birth to his only son, Edward.

(Hans Holbein, around 1538) Henry had stamped his authority on the country, the church and his household. Now he hoped to finally secure his dynasty. He already had his next bride in mind - the demure and docile Jane Seymour. They married just 11 days after Anne’s beheading at the Tower of London. Finally, there was great rejoicing when in October 1537, when Jane gave birth to a son Edward at Hampton Court. Henry wept tears of joy as he tenderly held his infant heir. Edward was to be the king's only legitimate son and 12 days after giving birth, Jane died from complications. Her death plunged Henry into a state of grief. 'Most precious jewel' Henry was determined to protect the heir he described as "this whole realm's most precious jewel" and no one was allowed to approach or touch the prince without the king's written permission. All of Edward's food was carefully tasted first and the rooms in his household were scrubbed with soap three times a day. Henry was determined to preserve the heir he described as "This whole realm's most precious jewel."

Question: Back to Henry V111, who was his third wife?
Answer: Jane Seymour